What is cleft palate?

• A cleft palate is a birth defect where the palate or roof of the mouth has not completely fused together during fetal development.

Types of cleft palate

• There are three types of cleft palate:
  1. Incomplete Cleft Palate
     • This affects the soft palate in the back of the mouth
  2. Complete Cleft Palate
     • Both the hard and soft palates are affected making the mouth and nose cavity exposed to one another.
  3. Submucous Cleft Palate

     • A cleft involving the hard and/or soft palate, covered by the mucous membrane lining the roof of the mouth.

• To read the full description of the types of cleft palates and more, click here.

Classifications of cleft palate and cleft lip